Lock and key.



R. WALSER & A. SAUTER.

LOOK AND KEY.

APPLICATION TILED MAR. 19, 1913.

1,100,511, Patented June 16,1914.

WITNESSES [:1 65 INVENTORS 67 68 45 ATTORNEYS cnLuMBIA PLANOGRAPHCO.,WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT WALSER, OF WEST NEW YORK, AND ALFRED SAU'IER, 0]? UNION HILL, NEWJERSEY.

LOCK AND KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ROBERT WALSER and ALFREDSAUTER, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, ofWest New York, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, andUnion Hill, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks and Keys, of

which the following is a full, clear, and

tor-changeable bits conformable to the wards,

the lock being provided with means whereby the ward-holder can beremoved from the lock only when the bolt thereof is projected into anoperative position.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient lockwhich can be used for the various purposes to which locks are usuallyput, which may have combined there with a special key provided withinterchangeable bits, or an ordinary key, in which the lock may beadjusted to adapt it for use with different keys or with differentadjustments of a special key, which cannot be operated in anunauthorized manner without great difliculty, in which the lock can beadjusted without the use of the key itself, and which comprises fewparts and is compact in form and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views,'and in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the lock, showing one of the side plates removed todisclose the interior of the lock; Fig. 2 is a yertical section 011 theline 2-2 of Fig. 1; Flg. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1,showing the lock bolt projected; Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of apart of the lock showing the tumblers; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectionalview of a special key and of the ward-carrier and wards of the lock;Fig.' 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the parts in differentpositions; and Fig. 7 1s a fragmentary, side elevation of thewardcarrier and wards of a modified form.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of our inventionitshould be clearly understood that while the same includes thecombination of the special lock with the special key, as will be pointedout more particularly hereinafter, the invention also relates to thelock itself, independently of the key. In other words, our lock with itsnovel features may be used with an ordinary key of proper shape or withthe special key having adjustable or interchangeable bits. On the otherhand the special key with its novel features may be used with anotherform of lock of ordinary type and not necessarily embodying the novelfeatures of our invention as relating to the lock. Preferably however,the lock and key of our invention should be combined.

Referring more particularly to the drawings we have shown a lock casing10, preferably fashioned from metal, and of the cus tomary form. It isadapted to be mounted in a recess of the door or other closure withwhich the lock is employed. It has the outer or face plate 11 providedwith upwardly and downwardly extending ends 12 having openings 13adapted to receive screws or other means for securing the lock inposition in the door recess. The casing has similar side plates 14 bothof which are re1novable and which are preferably secured in place bymeans of screws or the like engaging in openings 15 provided for the purpose, in blocks 16 located within the corners of the casing. The backwall 17 of the easing is likewise provided at its lower end with aninturned part having'openings 18 receiving retaining screwsof the sideplates.

The lock is provided with the usual latch bolt 19having a'beveled head20 normally projecting through an opening 21 in the face plate 11. Thelatch bolt is guided between lugs 22 projecting inwardly from the faceplate 11 and has a stem 23. The latter is movably held in a suitableguide 24 and has at the inward extremity a bifurcation At theextremities of the bifur cated part are studs 26. A leaf spring 27having one extremity held by a screw 28 passes around a stud 29 of thelock casing and engages a stud 30 near the inner end of the latch boltstem. This leaf spring normally projects the latch bolt. A spindle 31 ofangular cross-section extends transversely through the casing and isrotatably mounted in openings of the side walls. It is provided with theusual grips (not shown) by means of which it can be turned in onedirection or the other. It has rigidly 1nounted thereon a collar 32having an arcuate cam 33 adapted to engage one or the other of the studs26, so that as the spindle 31 is turned one way or the other it willretract the latch bolt against the tension of the spring 27. Thisconstruction may be of the type described or of any customary form 3adapted for the purpose.

Near the middle of the casing at the front I thereof we provide pairs ofspaced ribs 34 horizontally disposed and rigidly secured in position. Award-carrier 35 is slidably mounted between the ribs 34 and has the endreceived in an opening 36 of the face plate 11. At the inner extremity,the wardcarrier has one or more transverse grooves 37 of undercut ordovetail form. able and interchangeable wards 38 having the extremities39 shaped to be received in the grooves and held therein are carried atthe inner end of the holder and projected inwardly therefrom, as isclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These wards may be of any suitable,irregular form, and are normally located at each side slot 40 of thekey-hole, the eye d1 of the key-hole being positioned at the end of theslot remote from the wardholder.

In Fig. 7 we have shown a modified form of ward-holder 42 having asingle dovetail slot 43 in which are removably positioned wards 44:.These have bifurcated parts 45 constituting the wards proper, betweenwhich the bits of the key must pass. Slidably mounted within the casing,above the ward-holder, is the lock bolt 46 adapted to be projectedthrough an opening d7 of the face plate and like the ward-holdernormally lying with its outer surface flush with the correspondingsurface of the face plate. The bolt is guided to move between the upperrib 34 and a partition 48, extending longitudinally of the look, belowthe top of the casing, and preferably secured to the upper blocks 16, sothat the partition is substantially parallel to the upper wall of thecasing and is therefore normally horizontal. Extending rearwardly fromthe bolt 46 is a bolt body 49 of elongated form and divided rearwardlyof the bolt, 4t6, into Adjusta pair of parallel, vertically disposedpartition plates 50. o provide tumblers o1 of any suitable form,pivotally mounted by means of a transverse pin 52 at the outside of thepartition plates, and between the same. In the form of lock illustrated,three tumblers are employed. Needless to say, this number may be alteredas desirable or necessary. Each of the tumblers is in the form of alever having a nose 53 adapted to engage in an opening at or 55 of thepartition 48. The openings 54. are so disposed that when the noses ofthe tumblers are engaged therein the bolt is held in its retractedposition. On the other hand, when the tumblers engage at the openings 55the bolt is secured in its projected, operative position. Each of thetumblers is held in a normal, operative position, by a leaf spring 56secured to a stud 57 of the bolt body and engaging at a second. stud 58so that it is maintained in operative relation with the tumblers. Inorder to prevent unauthorized withdrzuval of the ward-holder we providea stop 59 consisting of a pin, the lower end of which" is received inregistering openings 60 and 61 of the upper rib 34 and the wardholder.The pin is slidably mounted in a guide 62 of the casing wall. A spring(33 likewise secured to the casing wall and engaging the pin, tendsnormally to retract it from engagement with the openings 60 and 61. Thebolt body has a part Get having a cam edge which normally engages theupper end of the pin 59, so that when the lock is retracted the pin isheld in an operative position, that is, with its lower extremitydisposed in the openings 60 and 61. Consequently, as long as the lockbolt is retracted the ward-carrier cannot be removed from the casing.Only after a key has been used to project the bolt can the ward-holderbe withdrawn, for, when the bolt projected the part Gt is out ofengagement with the pin, and the latter is moved into an inoperativeposition under the influence of its spring 63.

In Figs. 5, and 6 we have shown a special form of key for use with ourlook. This comprises a stem 65 having at one end a suitable bow 6G andat the other end a tubular part 67. This tubular part has pro videdtherein a slot 68. A number of bits 69, having enlarged heads areassociated with the key, the heads being received within the tubularpart 67, with the bits proper projecting through the slots 68. The bitsare secured in place by a screw 71 received in the corresponding end ofthe tubular part 67 or in any other suitable manner. It will beimderstood that the bits may be of any irregular form corresponding tothe form of the wards 38, so that when the key is inserted in a key-holeand the bits positioned between the wards, the key can be turned in onedirection or the other, passing through the openings of the wards. Ifthe key does not fit, or is not the proper key, it cannot of course beturned from between the wards, and the lock cannot be operated. As soonas it passes from between the wards and it is turned far enough the bitswill come into engagement with the tumblers to displace them anddisengage the noses thereof from the openings 53 and 54:. At the sametime the bits contact with the bolt body in a recess 7 2 thereof so thatthe bolt can be moved longitudinally in one direction or the other. Whenit is desired to adjust the lock and the key the bolt is first projectedand the ward-carrier is withdrawn. To facilitate this operation weprovide an undercut recess 73 in an end face of the ward carrier,adapted to be engaged by a hook 74 provided at the bow 66 of the key, sothat the latter can be used to draw forth the ward-carrier withoutdifliculty, as is shown in Fig. 6. The wards can then be removed andreplaced or can be interchanged, the bits of the key beingcorrespondingly adjusted. In this way by a very simple manipulation anentirely different setting of the lock can be effected.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent l. The combination with a lock having a bolt,and a removable ward-holder provided with adjustable and interchangeablewards, of a key having adjustable and interchangeable bits conformableto said wards, said lock having means whereby said wardholdcr can beremoved from said look only when said bolt is in a predeterminedposition.

2. The combination with a lock having a bolt, and a removableward-holder provided with adjustable and interchangeable wards, of a keyhaving adjustable and interchangeable bits conformable to said wards,said lock having a stop controlled by said bolt, for securing saidward-holder against removal.

3. A look having a bolt, a removable wardholder provided with Wards, andmeans controlled by said bolt, for securing said wardholder in position.

4. A look having a bolt, a removable wardholder provided with wards, astop for securing said ward-holder against removal, and means wherebysaid stop becomes inoperative when said bolt is projected.

5. The combination with a lock having a bolt, and a removable memberprovided with removable, adjustable and interchangeable.

wards, of a key having removable, adjustable and interchangeable bitsconformable to said wards, said lock having a normally inoperative stopengaging said member and adapted when operative to secure said memberagainst removal, said bolt having means for holding said stop in anoperative position when said bolt is retracted only.

6. A look having a slidable bolt, a wardcarrier slidably mounted in saidlock and adapted to be removed therefrom, said wardcarrier having aremovable ward, a pin adapted to engage said ward-holder and secure thesame against removal, and a spring tending to hold said pin in aninoperative position, said bolt having a cam part engaging said pin whensaid bolt is retracted, to hold said pin in an operative position.

7. In a look, a bolt; a ward carrier comprising a block having anunder-cut end, a Ward removably associated with said block and adaptedto engage the under-cut end; means for guiding said block; a pin adaptedto engage said block and lock the same; a resilient member tending todisengage said pin from the block; and a cam on said bolt controllingthe movement of said pin by said resilient member.

In testimony whereof we, ROBERT WALSER and ALFRED SAUTER, have hereuntosigned our names tothis specification in the pres ence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ROBERT WALSER. ALFRED SAUTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN P. DAVIS, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

